CoH80 - The Even Frostier Cup: Everything Thread

by **Sharktail** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:49 am

SHARKTAIL POST EP51
WE COME HERE NOT FOR VACATION

Carrol warned Sharktail players to always be focused and alert to threats from each team ahead of the kick -off of the Cup of Harmony 80. A squad lined up of 23 players was drawn in group N along with Zwangzug, Garbelia and Eastfield Lodge.

In a press conference held upon arrival at Graintfall, Carrol emphatically stated that each team will be present with high and strong determination. All teams will definitely try to forget the disappointment of failing to reach the final stage of the world cup. They will do their best to show solid action in this tournament. For Carrol, Sharktail players should see this tournament not just as a complement to the international action schedule. "The teams that compete in this tournament are no less impressive. There are some teams that we have fought against before. No matter what record we have in the past, we make it a fuel of enthusiasm to make us stronger to face them back. Each player need to put this mindset in their mind, we come not just for experience, we come not just for experiment, but we come here for a glory. As far as we can go, we will create our own path. I believe in them."

Carrol's confidence clearly has the support of the players. Team leader, Azaim stated that he and the other players are ready and can't wait to start the action. "As manager Carrol said, we all know how big and important this tournament is. For all of us, being selected to play for national is already a great achievement for us. To be more detail, choosen to play in official tournamnet, it's like the double of the achievment. We not just bring our own hope and target, but also we carried all fans hope. As long as we can, we will provide your with our best. " When asked about first official tournament as a captain, "Azaim admit he is a bit nervous. "I just one of the player in this team, not an exceptional talent or whatever. If i can have the word, i would like to decrease the burden and let other player wear this armband. But, this decision made by manager Carrol. He entrusted me with this, so i want to show him he not making a mistake for this. I will do this, now or even in future. As long as i needed, i will present myself and keep my dream to be among the best one days."

Sharktail will be facing Garbelia for the first match. Come as a second favourite after Zwangzug, ofcourse Sharktail doesnt want to lose their face in front of their fans. Sharktail predicted to win. Can we win, tomorrow will provide you answer.

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:23 am

Græntfjall – 2 (0)
B. Ernestisson (86’); Lúthersdóttir, Kristersson (61’), Reynarsson, Markusson (72’ Kristoffersdóttir ); Jvarsson (76’ Hólmarsdóttir ), Ásvaldursson; Harrysson (89’), Guttisdóttir (72’ Tronsson ), Heikkisdóttir; Þórhallursson (52’)

Ziwana – 3 (1)
Mourgine (25’), Ah Fok (90’), Graham (90+1’)

Græntfjall – 2 (0)
B. Ernestisson; Lúthersdóttir (45’ Philipsdóttir ), Thorleifsson (65’ R. Rögnvaldursson ), Björnsdóttir, Markusson; Bjørnsson; Noahsdóttir (31’) (34’) (55’ Grímólfursson ), Ásvaldursson, Kristoffersdóttir (55’ Hlynursbur (88’ Allansdóttir ); Hólmarsdóttir; L. Rögnvaldursson (62’ pen.) (84’)

Eshialand – 0 (0)
Copeland (62’)

Bollonich – 0 (0)

Græntfjall – 1 (1)
Snæþórsson; Philipsdóttir, Hagalínsdóttir, Nilsson, Markusson; R. Rögnvaldursson (45’ Grímólfursson ); Aapelisson (79’ Mensdóttir (90+2’)), Guttisdóttir (45’ Miansdóttir ), Kristoffersdóttir (45’ Hlynursbur ); Dannysdóttir (16’); L. Rögnvaldursson (52’ Wolfgangsdóttir )

Græntfjall – 3 (1)
Hárlaugsdóttir (86’); Matteosdóttir, Bensson, Björnsdóttir (50’), Bjarnfinnursdóttir; Mensdóttir (84’ Harrysson ), Hólmarsdóttir (88’ Ilíasarson ), Miansdóttir, Heikkisdóttir ; L. Rögnvaldursson, Guðmannsson (33’, 61’, 70’ pen.) (73’ Torkildsdóttir )

The Grearish Union – 1 (1)
Potts (45+2’)

Ziwana players taken from their last roster, for the 7th Melayu Cup.

With nothing left to play for, Græntfjall’s last match of World Cup qualifying was a damp fart of a game that put a suitably miserable coda on their disappointing campaign. Desperate for a win that, while meaningless in terms of qualification, would at least salvage a few meagre points, the Snow Wolves instead trailed the visiting Leopards following Jean-Marc Mourgine’s first half header. It took a predictable Jason Þórhallursson and a less predictable Björnólfur Ernestisson header, becoming the first goalkeeper to score for the Snow Wolves, to give them a last minute lead, but those last minutes proved an agonizing microcosm of their entire World Cup adventure: Robin Harrysson’s crude foul saw him see straight red and Charles Payen level the score from the spot; not 90 seconds later, Jonathan Ah Fok turned the ball over, sprinted down the left flank, and found Louis Graham with time and space to pick his spot. He did not miss. The ignominious end saw the Snow Wolves booed off the Grand National Arena field.

Under the guidance of assistant coach Torsten Oliversson, they recouped a little grace by winning all three friendlies over the autumn, though their opponents – Eshialand, in a battle of Baptism of Fire winners; Bollonich, whom they will meet again in the Cup of Harmony group stage; and The Grearish Union, whom despite a long association across several sports they would play on the senior football field for the first time – were all ranked lower, allowing little in the way of insight to be gained. An ill-tempered game against Eshialand was settled from the penalty spot by Lyngar Rögnvaldursson; though uncautioned during the game, Kalle Bjørnsson’s involvement in the scuffle that led to the penalty (and Harriet Copeland’s sending off) subsequently saw disciplinary action by KG that ruled him out of the CoH squad. OOC note: I do always list no violence in my permissions list, and yet Eshialand chose to RP my player engaging in a fight. As the wording was ambiguous and as Bjørnsson is the one character for whom an exception could reasonably be made I’ve run with it, but I’d like to stress that I’d prefer people ask me before assigning violent actions to my characters.

The visit to Bollonich went a little better with a clinical if uninspiring 1 – 0 win, settled early by Justiina Dannysdóttir, tipping in Amanda Guttisdóttir’s free-kick, after which a solid effort from a second-team defensive unit raised questions about what the profligate first-team defensive unit had been doing during World Cup qualifiers. On return, they met The Grearish Union at the Florus Stadion in Altendalur and came away 3–1 winners.

Starting XI against Barunia: B. Ernestisson; Lúthersdóttir, Bensson, Reynarsson, Vilbertsdóttir; Jvarsson (c), Ásvaldursson; Guttisdóttir; Jonathansdóttir, Dannysdóttir, Heikkisdóttir

Þórhallursson decision set to overshadow coaching announcement

Elvíra Mýrkjartansdóttir is far from a household name, but over the next 24 hours will dominate the limelight of the Græntfjaller sports media. As press secretary for Knattspyrnusamband Græntfjalls, she has been charged with announcing the hire of the new manager of the national football team at an elaborate presentation ceremony in Central Háttmark. The next morning, she will be back at a rather more austere lectern, reading the results of disgraced footballer Jason Þórhallursson’s ‘B’ sample drug test result, and the consequent decision on his future playing in the blue-and-white. The masterpiece of comic ill-timing on KG’s part is, they claim, unavoidable owing to a requirement to announce doping test results in a timely fashion, but if – as is already heavily suspected to be the case – Þórhallursson’s B sample confirms his initial positive, the impact of his indubitable ban from competing in the first ever Cup of Harmony played on home soil is sure to drown out the debate over the new manager.

For weeks Græntfjaller football journalists have been debating the likely successor to Kang Guilin, with a variety of – mostly foreign – names being floated for the role. Two favorites have emerged in the form of Jens Reiniger, former Pasargan international defender and assistant manager to the Valanora national team, and Igrene Cantor, journeywoman Nepharan striker and manager of Brenecian A-League side Marque, with betting markets mildly favoring Cantor, who would become the first woman to be appointed as full-time manager of the Snow Wolves. The strong reputation of Nepharim players in Græntfjall, who have been regularly slaughtered by the Cormorants every time the full strength sides have met in competition, has no doubt boosted Cantor’s prospects. But Reiniger has much to commend him despite an indifferent managerial record in the Nepharan Premiership/Zenith, and is thought to be a closer tactical fit to the Græntfjaller squad’s make-up.

Not that a Rushmori appointment is a certainty. The most experienced manager who has been linked with the job is Joseph Moteudi, former manager of the Indusse national team. Released, much like Kang, after a failure to qualify for the World Cup, he enjoyed an enviable record of success in domestic football but struggled to take Indusse that final step to World Cup qualification. That – and the suggestion that, having failed with his own team, he cannot be expected to do any better with a foreign one – has held him back behind Reiniger and Cantor in the general thinking, but he is more experienced than either and could prove a steadying hand on the tiller after a rocky few months for the Snow Wolves. Similar doubts swirl around Alexander Bumba, who left the Busoga Islands team after a similar failure at World Cup qualification: a talented manager, no doubt, but one who has already proven himself not to do the one thing KG are desperate to get from their next coach.

The most intriguing and left-field candidate, though, who entered as something of a dark horse late on during the candidate search, is Will Barnard. Current manager of Gunzlach, the Baker Park manager has a familiarity with Græntfjaller football that no other foreign manager can match, and has had considerable success, albeit having joined the already strong Gunners side. And for those who fear the new manager will be dealt a duff hand by having a Þórhallursson-less squad for their first assignment – and potentially longer – then Barnard is the ideal choice, having rebuilt the Gunners after their own loss of Þórhallursson. His player development has been praised, turning young prospects An Seung-Mi, Jade Miansdóttir and Gabriella Gentile into valuable contributors. The biggest knock on Barnard, of course, is that KG has been historically reluctant to ‘pick sides’ in the Gunzlach-Steinaux rivalry, and that the team’s Steinaux squad members might be unwilling to play under Barnard. “I’d rather gargle cold sick than play for a Gunzlach coach,” said one Steinaux player who wished to remain anonymous, adding: “Don’t use my name, just say I’m Hjörleifur R. or Mr. Reynarsson.”

Amid such quality foreign names, domestic prospects Bjarnveig Lyngarsdóttir and Oliversson himself have been rather lost. Lyngarsdóttir led the all-women Snow She-Wolves team to international silverware with the Cocoa-Bo Challenge Cup, losing in the Eagle’s Cup final to Los Pitxileros of Tequilo, and has enjoyed some domestic success with Maigburg, but is significantly less experienced than any of the vaunted foreign candidates, while Oliversson served ably but arguably somewhat indistinctly under Kang.

Pundits are torn. Vilbjörn Hjörleifursson, former Baptism of Fire captain, feels that Barnard is the most likely choice. “Ultimately I think the Steinaux lads are going to have to suck it up,” said Hjörleifursson, who said they were being ‘overly dramatic’ while admitting he himself would have rather committed self-immolation that played for a Korsbach-linked manager. Petter Erlingsson, Steinaux club captain, ruled Barnard out as a non-starter and said he “liked the look of Cantor and Reiniger”. Veteran football journalist Olle Tobiasson also says Cantor is a likely choice: “there’s a bit of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’; Snow Wolf Pack fans are always whining about how we can’t beat Nephara, well, why not get a Nepharan then, if they’re so much better?”

But whichever name is plucked from the hat by Mýrkjartansdóttir, it will be the result – positive or negative – and resulting length of ban in case of the former that she announces tomorrow that is likely to swamp said news. Þórhallursson, scorer of a national record 57 goals and the most expensive Græntfjaller player signing in history with a record $12.5m (~15m króna) deal with Herzegovina City that could now be in jeopardy, was arrested after an incident at a Molding nightclub. While charges were dropped, a routine drug test turned up a positive result for MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. If the ‘B’ sample confirms the positive result, he can expect to be banned for a minimum of three months.

The nature of the substance has raised some questions over the ban. “It’s not a performance enhancing substance, and I’m not sure we should be regulating athletes’ private lives,” said Kristvarður Arnviðsson, Professor of Sports Science at the University of Central Altendalur. “Banning a player for using a recreational drug serves little purpose other criminalizing social behavior, and seems hypocritical when we’re in the midst of a national debate over drug decriminalization,” he added, in a nod to the recent national election, where the Progressive Liberals campaigned to bring an end to legal penalties for many drugs – among them MDMA. Others are less convinced that using club drugs should excuse Þórhallursson’s behavior. “I just hope they hand down a death sentence,” said Erlingsson, who when asked to clarify if by that he meant a lifetime ban, gave a non-committal grunt before sending another dart unerringly into the forehead of a photograph of the former Gunzlach striker taped to the wall of his bachelor pad where he is currently living while divorce proceedings with his soon-to-be-ex-wife Karlína Mummisdóttir are ongoing.

Þórhallursson himself has been tight-lipped since the news of his positive test first broke, refusing to apologize or admit guilt, to explain how and why he took from the substance, or from whom he obtained it. He has however said he will abide by any decision made by KG and will honor any ban handed down without appeal.

Also in the paper:

NEWS: Election enters dramatic final week ‘too close to call’
BUSINESS: Huge market sell-off continues as fears of Left-slate nationalizations grow
WORLD: Election advisor reports Verdean ballots are “highly inflammable, I mean, infallible”
CULTURE: Pollwatch: 10 cute fall styles to wear while casting your vote!
SPORT: Bollonich and Græntfjall to cooperate in chess tournament

by **Valentine Z** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:33 am

Post 1 - All in Harmony.

"Bring both summer and winter clothing," Valentijn said as she was looking at the screen in front of her and briefing the Valentians regarding this event. With the 88th World Cup out of the way, they simply nodded and shrugged off the many defeats that they have had and were about to make their way back to Yangon, specifically the one in Valentine Z. Perhaps it was simply luck that was not as merciful to them compared to other events, or it was because they have been competing with the best of the best. For the latter, however, it would have made sense fully, if not for the fact that some of the teams that the Valentians played against were certainly not stronger than them - weaker or equally as strong, but definitely not the type to be stronger. So what gives? What happened to the Valentians that resulted in them experiencing such a plummet in their own group? None of them knew.

However, what they knew was that they were definitely invited for another event - 80th Cup of Harmony, hosted by Græntfjall and Krytenia. The email came into Valentijn's mailbox, along with it being CC'ed to the rest of the Valentian leadership and personnel, perhaps those that the hosts thought were the in-charge of Valentine Z. Without so much a second of delay, the Valentians unanimously accepted the invitation and sooner or later, they were once again ready to cause a bit of stir in terms of performance on the field - whether or not they would win a few rounds, or fail spectacularly, is once again depends on several factors, with luck being one of them. The Valentians took the advice of the hosts and brought a small wardrobe worth of clothing, despite the fact that they can still teleport back to Valentine Z from their ship if they need extra clothing, or buy some, or at least simply stay in the ship.

The cast of the Valentian Team is once again the same as the one in 88th World Cup. The Valentians would have swapped with each other or at least gave the others a chance, but perhaps in the next World Cup, they thought to themselves. The mix of old and well-known guards and names, alongside the relatively new names that the others outside of Valentine Z has not heard about. A spotlight to these characters, if you will. Valentijn copied and pasted the same roster, consulting with the rest of the Valentians before sending it off. One change that was made was to have one more attacker on the offensive side, since Clarissa alone could not be delegated with the task of scoring goals; she was as good as they could get, but even should not perform miracles on the field. "So, any volunteers?" Valentijn asked around the mid-fielders and defenders.

A hand quickly raised up high in front of the crowd, almost instantaneously, and almost as if she used her time powers to be the very first one to raise her hand. "Ohh, me, please!" Gwen exclaimed cheerfully, opting to be on the offensives alongside Clarissa. "Darmen, New Lusitania, and Chartistan. We will be playing against them, and I am not saying we need to overestimate them, nor underestimate them. Just be careful out there, all right? If WC88 is any indication, surprises come in all shapes and sizes. Missing the friendlies might have been a bit of a detriment, because we need the practice and to study them, but I would not worry too much about that. For now, at the very least." With her briefing done, Valentijn dismissed the screens in front of her, taking a sip of hot chocolate milk from her oversized mug.

by **Hispinas** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:04 am

ES | EN | EU | FIL

Hispinas' PREMIER sports magazine!

Cup of Harmony 80: Medrano 'bullish' about Golden Sealions' chances of Round of 32 berth
Despite 1 win in second half of World Cup qualifying campaign, Hispinas invited to Cup of Harmony

SIMPSON, KRYTENIA - The head coach of the Hispinas national football team, the Golden Sealions, have made it known to multiversal media that they did not come to the Cup of Harmony to make up the numbers.

Despite finishing 6th in their group after their qualifying campaign for the 88th World Cup with only a single win in their last ten competitive matches, the recent second runners-up of the Copa Rushmori has been invited to the Cup of Harmony, a tournament where teams which failed to qualify for the World Cup finals but have convinced the organizers from hosts Krytenia and Graintfjall to invite them in various ways. Hispino fans have noted the improvement Medrano's squad made against their previous campaign where they were able to score more points in the first half of their campaign than what they amassed in total last campaign with the same number of games.

Medrano was a bit disappointed that they were not drawn into a group held in Graintfjall as it is geographically nearer to Hispinas, although he noted that he enjoyed staying in Krytenia, which were in the same group as with Hispinas in the qualifying campaign in Matchday 5, with the hosts emerging victorious in a nine goal thriller. This tournament, the team will play their matches in Osteria and Simpson, and has been drawn with former World Cup hosts Drawkland, emerging Esportivan powerhouse Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom, and St. Trinians, with Hispinas facing a daunting task against the Sonnel powerhouse on Matchday 1.

He has warned the other teams not to underestimate his team in the pre-match conference against Drawkland in Simpson. "In these kinds of tournaments, teams have written us off even before the matches have started, and even if we are lower seeds, we have managed to advance out of the group stages. Our opponents should not make a mistake underestimating my squad or they will regret it." The head coach based in Cebuenas have said in front of various media from the multiverse.

Hispinas had an untelevised friendly match in HUElavia in order to prepare for the tournament, in addition to them returning to a Sonnelian protectorate named Annyeong Oppa to continue with their training camp. It is unknown how their training camp went, but the fact that they made a return trip meant that it would have been a fruitful encounter with the Annyeongoppans. Fans would hope that Hispinas advance to the Round of 32 and will know that they must get a result against Drawkland if they want to have a great start to their Cup of Harmony campaign.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:17 am

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

JUST END ME ALREADY

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, well, that's it. There's no more point in engaging in this frivolous activity anymore. I just can't believe it. I just can't! Never has the women's football team had a clearer shot at shooting straight into the World Cup proper, and yet they still found a way to properly fuck it up! If we had only held our fucking nerve against Atheara and either managed to score at least an equalizer or not concede the damn penalty in the first place, we probably wouldn't even be in this situation! But no. We had to perform the annual collapse into the home stretch of World Cup qualifiers and turn what was supposed to be an easy path to automatic qualification into a pair of do-or-die matches where all our team ever does is die, never do. I'm sick of it! I'm downright sick of it. It's not even that funny anymore.

At least that whole shitshow has finally got us rid of Ginny Katesmar. No offence to the woman; I'm pretty sure that she can manage my Sunday league side a damn sight better than I can, but I think it's pretty clear that she's overstayed her welcome, and overstayed it for a damn long time. I never saw her as being suited for handling the job as Abanhfleft women's team manager for a long time, and definitely not for as long a time as she did. Katesmar was good enough to take charge for one or two cycles. She's definitely good enough to steer a team out of a three-game group stage. But she is not good enough to keep any sort of momentum going in a long-ass campaign such as World Cup qualifying. She is also not good enough to manage a team across a single ninety-minute game if there is anything on the line should the team win. It doesn't matter if it's for the bastard World Cup itself or for just a bloody bag of chips; if the only way to get that thing is by winning a game of football, I'm not picking Ginny Katesmar to manage my team. Christ above! We had the bloody chance to force extra time against bloody Yuezhou, and we fucking let the bastard chance slip. The collapse at the tail end of qualifying was already unforgivable enough, but this... Let's just say that Miss Katesmar better not find herself walking the streets of Markovsky or else she'll get mobbed by packs of raving and rabid Abanhfleft fans. Well, actually, that warning applies to every major and minor city, town, and settlement in Abanhfleft. Yes, it's that bad. Yes, we're that bad.

So now who's going to be in charge of these women as we make the trip to Graintfjall and whoever else is co-hosting the Cup of Harmony? Well, in typical Abanhfleft fashion, instead of drawing up a shortlist of candidates whom they actually believe would be able to do the job, the SFA have decided to literally send out an ad on the classifieds asking for any manager to bloody apply for the bastard vacancy! And, to the surprise of everyone but the SFA itself, only one person decided to apply for the job. And it's a bloody nonagenarian from Natanians and Nosts as well! You know, if it weren't for the fact that the SFA's ad actually asked for someone who prefers an attacking style, Gaetano Bernardeschi would probably be lining up in front of the SFA's offices and literally blocking everyone's path in and out of the place until he got the job. Anyway, the risk of having a coach die right on the sidelines was a little bit too much for the SFA to stomach, so instead of Ion Costanescu or whatever his name is, the SFA have decided to look internally for solutions, and apparently the solution to our problems is Heinrich Wurzmann. Yes, Heinrich bloody Wurzmann, mastermind of the bastard Alternative Football Program that sought to find dual nationals and stateless people who could be recruited (or conned, more likely) into representing Abanhfleft on the international footballing stage. The man responsible for introducing the biggest drug-related scandal in Fleftic sports before Ripperidone (although there's evidence that suggest that these two things might just well be related). There's just no way this will end in disaster and tears, mark my words. You all heard it here first.

Anyway, that's all that there is from me. If you've got comments or thoughts of your own about us being knocked back to the Cup of Harmony or about Ginny Katesmar getting the sack and Heinrich Wurzmann being appointed in her place then feel free to leave them in the comments down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, absolutely disappointed in and despising our country.

██████ABANHFLEFT 2 - 3 YUEZHOU
  WOODWARD (31')       LIU HUIYING (69', 81')
MAGOMEDOVA (65')       LI JING (73')

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:36 am

RekanSport
CoH80 Preview
By Ljubomira Jewrić

After a rough qualification campaign where the Rekan national team finished fifth in the group and fifty eighth overall, a new coach and a similar line up with major changes are pining for football success around a fickle crowd. Is it possible for the side to survive? Could they perhaps thrive? A few hours of football against strong teams will answer questions.

With the failure of head coach Jowan Stanimirić, he resigned before the Cup of Harmony, though his contract ended six days after the finals. Assistant Coach Bosko Nowak was appointed as caretaker and will act as a stop gap before the team searches for it's next leading man. "It's an honor to try and emend what's happened in the last few years," Nowak said in his first press event as head coach. Some are critical of the Football Association for not drawing in a new head coach. Some, such as sports columnist Djoko Weljkowić wrote, "Another inexperienced head coach? We've had this already." Other critiques pointed at Nowak's background. Political Commentator Wiktor Arsenijewić stated on his radio and TV program that "Criminals have not earned a coaching job in most countries," the political firebrand continued to preach against Nowak after a backlash "One who damages the things of others should not be allowed to damage a country I fought for," Arsenijewić after a tense phone in segment where his current affairs show was flooded with football fans. Former national team head coach Marko Dusan had a more positive outlook on Nowak than other, "The man has a lot of life experiences, footballing know how, and he is respected by some of the players on the side as a peer," when asked about the controversy surrounding Nowak's eighteen month criminal conviction, Dusan noted that, "Our country calls itself a meritocracy. Perhaps Bosko's actions as a man born again simply allowed him to earn a role. I see nothing wrong with that."

Nowak set off to build a better version of side his old boss created. The joint ninth best attacking side in the qualification campaign sees its attackers return. One notable exception was Stojan Heiden, who Nowak has been critical of in times past. Bogdan Rawić, who scored nine of the side's fifty one goals, is still upfront. Arnald Gal, who knocked home seven, will join Rawić on the left flank. Forward facing playmaker and corner specialist Jad has been welcomed back into the starting lineup, but we could see bring youngster Josip Jorowić make a splash as well. Others backups include Cup of Harmony 79 wonder kid Konstantina Popowić, and Challenger's Cup quarter finalist Fenstermacher Scwartzhammer. The midfield three has been total unchanged as well. Some changes were made to the position of the three men. Secret reports from a closed practice show that Želmir Kolarowić, who for some unknown reason was donning a number ten shirt and an eleven shirt, to play up forward more. This makes sense, as Nowak enjoyed Rawić's attempts to drop back. Lazar Macek-Leibberman was selected to backup the deep lying Stani Gröss of 1830 Cathair fame. Some belive this is due to Nowak not enjoying the prior backup, Nikola Branić, at the club level. Branić's time with Nowak's former club has see trophies almost totally dry up, while the twenty year old Leibberman has played deep into the challenger's cup as a teammate of Scwartzhammer.

While the more attacking players have rewarded for their efforts, some big shifts have occurred behind the center circle. Rumors that both fullbacks would be cut were unfounded. However more defensive options were selected as alternates for Igorić and Kewić. One backup is Ofau captain Ilija Illić, who will be debuting at a massive event. Illić has been criticized for inconstancy beyond the middle line, but has immense fitness and one on one skills. In addition, all purpose defender Steffanow Kostessen moves into center to give Wlad Wlad a break from almost all ball playing duties. While Wlad Wlad is destructive player, the shot stopper was not fit to pass on the world's stage. Backups Tito Jankoslawić and Marka Krušlin were selected to aid defense without forcing Kostessen to play the full tournament. Former goalkeeper Bosko Nowak had some interesting ideas as head coach, swapping the number one shirt on short notice from Zlatko Wukowić of Lonngeylin City to Dejan Wasić of Montreal Koreana. "Dejan Wasić may be comfortable now," Djoko Weljkowić wrote in his column, "but the disputes between him and Wukowić are not over."

Some hope for victory, as anyone could expect, but how important is this tournament? RekanSport reporters caught up with a broadcasting analyst named Petra Budday-Arndt. Arndt, who has worked for both the publicly funded Reka TV and major network TV-4, told us that "The National Football Team is huge business. But, the profitability of that business is due to people wanting to watch winners. A Baptism of Fire side who gave up no goals until the last two matches Is good. An early elimination is not. A fourth place finish in a regional tournament helped things say study. Even so, I don't think the people want to see another bad performance." Was Arndt accurate in her estimates? The Rekan Pollster Company seems to agree, to a point. When the RPC asked sports fans why they watch international sports, a large number answered "to see the country's success." RekanSport pondered what this meant, and went to the RPC directly, "On three separate occasions last year we were surveying around eight hundred people," RPC told RekanSport in a letter, "From our findings, evidence suggests a large portion of football's fanbase watches international games. The ratings corroborate RPC's claims. In our estimation, the behavior of many fans is guided by something sports experts label 'fair-weather' principles. Victory is essential, otherwise Rekans become ashamed." If everything the RPC and Arndt told us is true, then the Cup of Harmony could be a moment that makes Football sexy, or weakens its reputation for years.

How well will the Rekan team do in their fourth Cup of Harmony? RekanSport has not crystal ball, but a pot two side always had a chance. First up on the itinerary is the all female side from the matriarchal anarchy of St Trinians. An hyper aggressive side, St Trinians will need to get the ball against the possession based Rekan Eleven. Should that match go well, Zeta Reka could be fighting for first place then against Hispinas. The form Hispinas has been brutal, with a single win and five losses during the second half of the qualifying campaign. Should everything go wrong in those first two games, then Nowak's side will have to work miracles against Sonnel super team Drawkland. Drawkland were bested in the playoffs thanks to away goals, and had an goals per game performance similar to Zeta Reka, but with a less successful defense. Zeta Reka's senior side has only once been eliminated in a tournament's group stage, and the nation is confident in continued success, but after that, no one knows for sure what will happen. Captain Kolarowić's prediction for RekaTV was simple, "Supreme victory."

RekanSport Top 6:
CoH80 Preview (Special Free Article)
Analysis of FLF Season 79
Transfer rumors running wild in four sports
Homophobia lawsuit filed against the Deputy of Sport and Culture, plus six civil servants
Will motor racing be the next big thing in Ogroven?
Zeta Reka Bank displeased with FK-PRD Ofau debt negotiations
Free Articles remaining this month: 5

by **Sendhang** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:46 am

Why Sendhangite speaks the language of the Samuderan?

The history of Sendhang started 50,000 years ago when the Australo-Melanesian reached Melayu Archipelago. They were the first human to reach the region having moved westward from the Asian Archipelago. Melayu Archipelago was still a single landmass during this time and was connected to Asian Archipelago via a land bridge.

The Austronesian reached Melayu Archipelago from Asian Archipelago at around 500 BCE. They were the first human to reach the region after sea levels rose at the end of the last glacial period approximately 12,000 years ago and submerged the land bridge between Melayu Archipelago and Asian Archipelago below sea level.

The Austronesian were great seafarers. They inhabited most of the islands in the region and assimilated with the earlier Australo-Melanesian population at varying levels. They began trading with India and Asian Archipelago by the end of the first century CE and adopted Hinduism thus allowing the creation of Indianized kingdoms such as the Malay kingdom of Meilawati and Kawi kingdom of Sripala in the fourth century CE.

Sendhang at this time was divided between the two in which the western part of the country was heavily influenced by the Meilawati kingdom while the northern and eastern part of the country was heavily influenced by the Sripala kingdom.

The Meilawati Kingdom was so successful as the center of commerce at that time and this has resulted in the spread of the Malay language in the region and subsequently made it the trading lingua franca of the Melayu Archipelago including in Sendhang. This is why the region is named as such by western explorers.

The language was later adopted as the national language of Sendhang after the unification of the country to unite the different ethnic groups in the country with a common language. It was picked as the national language because it was already commonly used as the second language especially in trading.

After years of standardization, the language evolved to what we now simply call Bahasa which literally means language, a slightly different language to the Samuderan-originated Malay but still mutually intelligible.

This is why we Sendhangite speaks the language of the Samuderan and not one of the native languages around.

by **San Ortelio** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:17 pm

With a gentle yet firm push, the bouncer directed his clingy last guest out the door, to the sidewalks of Montreal. Even if April was peaking around the corner, the morning was in equal parts foggy and freezing and Dennis Spaviero had to gasp to handle the gusts of fresh air flowing into his lungs. He tried to turn around but nearly stumbled into a pile of snow on the sidewalk. An early jogger gave him a sideways look – it wasn’t the first nightcrawler he had seen struggling to coordinate all limbs. Dennis tried to process it all, how he made friends who shared glasses and better friends who shared bottles. And the best ones, well… They were all as blurry as the sidewalk but even better than those from the night before. Or the night before that. Or the night...

“Ho… Hotel F…” he slowly regained his senses, “Foxhole.”

And with some natural instinct, he raised his hand to stop a taxi. As many knew that at six o’clock, you could get a decent tip from someone not able to count his banknotes anymore – if you didn’t bother about the risk of having your back seat puked on - , it didn’t take long for one to stop. Dennis opened the door and dragged himself on the backseat, just able to utter the same words.

“Foxhole, foxhole, …” the driver mused, “ah! The Foxchester Hotel! Fancy rooms, beautiful marketing, popular for big meetings. Si! Pronto!”

Despite that, it took a minute or two and a rosary dangling from the rear view mirror to pick up the accent. It looked like a regular rosary at first, if it weren’t for the five stars shoring up the beads – the Ortelian stars. Luckily for Dennis, he barely looked like the man with the same name who excited the stands filled with FC Pesari fans. His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale and his shirt hung open just a bit too much. His left loafer was soaked from the icy sidewalk.

“You don’t mind if I put on the radio a little?” the cabby, a puffy man with thick round glasses, asked and without even awaiting the answer, he switched it on.

Dennis couldn’t be bothered at first – whether it was the wireless or the drone from the car shifting through the city, both equally drummed at a godforsaken pace on the inside of his brain. He slowly came to his senses as the voice…

”And it’s another attack from the Goldhorns – they are two goals up but this is no longer about the win for them anymore... Tauscher on the wing in possession, dribbles past Gagliano as if he’s not even there – a low cross – and oh! It’s Ribbeck! Nil to three, for all those fans of I Spada out there who hoped things could turn around, it’s all over: San Ortelio is definitely out of the World Cup qualifiers.”
“Mierda!” the driver swore, slamming on his radio and his brakes at the same time – a maneuver that forced Dennis to use all his willpower to contain his stomach contents. But it wasn’t the libertine driving style that made him stare into the void, nor the result.

He knew that voice – and not from the radio.

“Hi, Romeo Bianco speaking – Elisa’s just to the toilet for a se-“

“It’s a good team,” the driver complained a bit more, “but they just don’t grab the big moments. They always get to it when it’s already too late.”
“Don’t we all,” Dennis replied, flatly.

The cabby nodded in silent contemplation – after many years in this position, listening to utter bullcrap and bons mots, he knew a philosophical wisdom when he heard one.

”And that concludes a disappointing evening for the Swordfishes, let us hope they can nonetheless qualify for the Cup of Harmony – and there are two more games on the agenda which could warrant a ticket to Græntfjall and Krytenia.”

The bittersweet outro tune added to the melancholic atmosphere in the car. Considering the hour, it should have switched to the news jingle, but there only was a deafening silence for five, six seconds. And then a shrieky voice of a young woman, who hesitantly spoke into the void.

”Dennis… If you can hear me… Come ho-“

Frustrated, the cab driver turned the channel switch back and forth, “It’s jammed again? What is this? Oh, for crying out loud, this ri-!”
“Stop,” Dennis said – it was his turn to cut the driver short. “Stop right here.”
“But, sir, the Foxchester Hotel is still a few-“
“I don’t care, I…”

Dennis took his wallet, rummaged through it for a few seconds, picking out some cards and gave the cab driver the wallet and all of its remaining contents.

“That should be enough,” Dennis Spaviero spoke and with those words, he stepped back into the ice cold Montreal morning.

“But I have paid my taxes! And my license fee!”
“That is not the problem, mister Fabiani, we-“
“I’m legal in this country, look, I have a –“

With some force, the tallest of the two police officers slammed on the table, shutting up the puffy man with thick round glasses seated opposite and startling his colleague with the same gesture.

“Mister Fabiani,” the short one continued after a dirty look at her colleague Marcello – considering the extra bar on her shoulder, officer Traviani could afford it, “we are not her for taxes or immigration. We just need your assistance for a few short questions and then we will let you resume your daily business. Ottavio Fabiani scratched his cheek for a second, trying not to think about his uninsured taxi on the driveway of the police office – then again, what would Ortelian cops in Quebec want to know about his local tax receipts?

“Sure, no problem,” he replied quietly.
“According to the CCTV footage, two weeks ago, you must have given a ride to this man, did you?” Traviani spoke, putting a picture on the table and shoving it in his direction. She could have just given it to him but since she saw it in a movie once, she felt it added to the good cop, bad cop act she and Marcello had been honing for a few years now.
“So…” Ottavio mused, “hm… hm…”, scratching his five o’clock shadow. “What is it about him?”
“Have you or have you not?” Traviani ignored his question, trying to look through the man.

Ottavio picked up the picture and looked at it from all angles with some theatrical value.

“I might… Hmm… But did I… Hmm… I-“

Officer Marcello wacked the table once more, but now about two centimeters away from where the elbow from Ottavio rests, “Hey! Dipshit! Wakey, wakey! Answer the questions from the officer or!” he yelled into the ear of the interrogated.
“As my esteemed colleague duly mentioned,” Traviani continued collected, “we want to keep it a short meeting and not an overnight stay – but that only can when you answer the questions.”
“I…” Ottavio answered sheepishly, “I think so.” And after a glance from Marcello. “Yes, yes I did.”

Anastasia Fabiani rose.

“In that case you are the last man to have seen Dennis Spaviero, mister Fabiani, so I would invite you to tell us all about that ride. Where it lead to, for starters?”
“The Foxchester Hotel,” came the swift reply, “but he stepped out two miles earlier, took his wallet and…”

Ottavio stalled for a second – he knew a guy from whom a nice leather wallet like that could still bring him twenty bucks.

“He took his wallet, paid and just stepped out of the door. A bit stumbling, but then there was already a next customer so I don’t know where he went to afterwards.”

Elisa sighed, but readjusted her sunglasses a little and picked up the heavy recording gear again.

“Come on, what are you waiting for? Jezus Christ woman, hurry up.”

With an extra sneer under his breath, Romeo turned around and paced further, away from the city center, his light rucksack dangling from one shoulder and the official press card hanging around his neck. All her friends had been jealous for her, having to opportunity to witness this major tournament on the front row. But as they stumbled along one of the big avenues of Waltenberg, she only wanted to be home, alone. Still, she walked on with the big suitcase in her hand, trying to make her way through the stream of locals and various groups of fans – a few in Ortelian blue, others with the characteristic red and black Adabian outfit.

She had suggested to do something about the Adabian midfield power duo, Arthur and Sinmubbalit, and the youth and energy they transpired – how they inspired a nation ánd a generation. Romeo had called it a pathetic suggestion and after googling all the model pictures of Emma Arthur, kept focused on doing something with it. On an audio medium, which – as Elisa knew – not only made him a pig but also an idiot.

“How long can it take,” Romeo fulminated and instinctively, she cringed a little as he approached.
“Ah, don’t be dramatic,” he grinned, ogling her sunglasses. “They even look good on you,” he continued with a dirty grin.

Elisa nearly gagged – the bastard. In an impulse, she wanted to grab them and throw them off, showing the world what she had to endure with him but… Yesterday evening, during the phase when it were just threats, Romeo had painfully outlined how much grip he had on her.

”You live with me, I pay the fucking roof over your head, I’m the only reason you’re employed and I’m the only one who wants you – what are you without me?”

Than he had kicked back his third scotch and…

Elisa shook her head – just a little, so he wouldn’t see - firmed her grip on the suitcase and stepped further, her glance to the ground and her teeth gritted. When she looked up, they were nearing the VG Arena already where I Spada would open their tournament in a few hours. The stadium had seen better days, yet the way it had grown into the city over time, becoming an unmistakable part of the identity of the metropole, gave it a rustic kind of charm.

Ever since she had spoken up live on the radio, not so coincidentally also the first time Romeo had shown the other, darker side of himself, she had been thinking of him. Where he would be, how he was. And even here, hundreds of miles up north, she saw Dennis in every face.

by **Sargossa** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:51 pm

The luck of the draw plays a big part in tournament football. Of course it does. Mostly for the obvious reason in that it dictates who you play. But it also dictates where you play. And in that regard Sargossa’s luck had run right out. While half the Cup of Harmony field would give Anaia (or eastern Atlantian Oceania, depending on your point of view) its sporting baptism the other half would head to Rushmore. Pretty cushy for a Rushmori nation. Or so you’d think if you hadn’t been to Græntfjall in the winter. The Football Federation employee tasked with organising the logistics of the Sargossa National Side’s stay had certainly been unaware of Græntfjall in the winter. And they were probably unaware of Kyrkdorf entirely. The southern city was host to the Corsairs’ final group game so had been picked as the location of the side’s training base. Plus, accommodation had been relatively easy to find. Turns out there was a good reason for that. Because, as it turns out, Kyrkdorf is both very cold and deeply unpleasant.

About three hours after arriving in the city and roughly twelve minutes optimistically warming up on a snow covered stretch of pitch the delegation’s management were faced with a mutiny. An irked group of players gathered around captain Juan Esnáider for a quick and decisive huddle. The captain took their grievances to the coaching staff, who found it very hard to disagree with any of the issues raised. The accommodation was unpleasant, the facilities at the Laxenvöllur were severely lacking and the welcome from the locals was somehow even frostier than the climate. Urgent phone calls bounced back between southern Græntfjall and the far off Sargossan capital. New arrangements would have to be made and they’d have to be made pretty darn quickly.

The situation found its way all the way to the Sports Ministry as Football Federation president Hernán Sandoval, who had noticeably elected to stay in the comfort of Soluca, sought solutions. And after some diplomatic wrangling with the Græntfjaller authorities a flight was dispatched from the nearby Islas Ominas overseas territory to Kyrkdorf to collect the national side. Or maybe to rescue the national side would be more accurate. The players, coaches, medical staff, kitmen and the rest of the entourage were flown north, back across the Komodo Channel, to Puerto Rodrigo, the island chain’s capital. This would now be Sargossa’s new training base, having taken over the town’s municipal stadium and the better part of several local hotels. The side would be based in Puerto Rodrigo and would fly back to Græntfjall for their two group fixtures along the northern coast, before that final game down south in Kyrkdorf. It remains to be seen whether the excessive toing and froing will have an impact on the side ahead of their opening group game against Murphtannia in Þingsnitz.

by **Kandorith** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:59 pm

Shinonome Kyoai - International

Cup of Harmony Looms.
In an exiting qualification campaign, Kandorith could not reach the Cup.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

^{SHARE THIS:}

TENKYO, KANYORI — For Watanabe the dream fell apart to qualify for the World Cup for the first time again for a long time, yet the spirit is not broken according to him. Rightfully so as the Kandorese team will return to Cup of Harmony once again and give it their all to try and show the footballing world what they are made of. As painful as the defeat for Kandorith was; the Cup of Harmony is where they shine most of the time.

The Kandorese Cup of Harmony campaign will start against Abanhfleft and will be a tough match for sure as any mistake could mean elimination from here on. Kandorith under Watanabe will play their other matches versus North Japan and Eshialand. The most notable thing about these matches is that Kandorith has never faced these teams in their history before. All of the matches will be their first meeting ever and therefore even harder to predict according to Watanabe.

The discussion in Kandorith of course is the way Kandorith should play and who to play, but Watanabe has already made his picks and will not change anything for the first match for sure. Watanabe has said he might wanted to start with a different formation, yet will stick to the 4-3-3 formation he loves so much, the same way they played during the World Cup Qualifiers which in the end was not enough. He has stated that the base formation of the team will not be very different from that formation as he believes in it's effectiveness and tactical supremacy. "I do have some different ideas, but let's just say that for now this is the end result of the team I have envisioned" he said.

There are however, some worries about the fitness of a few players in the squad but Watanabe has already dismissed those concern and called them nonsense. "I can tell you that the team is one-hundred per cent fit and any doubt about that can just be dismissed." he added. For the Kandorese the Cup of Harmony journey will begin and the fans will once again be expecting a lot from the team, which sadly has failed to qualify in the last few World Cup campaigns. They can however take a small glance at the successes the team has had in the Cup of Harmony which they hope is a fact they can repeat in this one.

One of the obstacles however is the weather in Graintfjall and we don't just mean the climate. The nation is a quite hardened and might seem unfriendly on the surface and with that add expected snow, harsh blizzards and icy cold temperatures; not really the best conditions to play football in. However the fans believe they can warm the hearts of the people with their kindness and acceptance and according to the team the harsh conditions should not be a problem for the team at all. Watanabe also added: "We train in all kinds of conditions at home and we also have icy cold weather in some of the places we go to; to us this should not be a problem but it will indeed make it more difficult. Then again, for our opponents it will be equally harsh."

Kandorith plays in two major cities in the nation: Waltenberg, a sprawling university city and the wonderful capital of Háttmark which is the beating heart of the sturdy Graintfjall economy. For both the fans and the team this will be another cultural experience (and a bit of a shock) yet, it seems the people from Graintfjall are not all that different from the Kandorese; sturdy, proud and stalwart people who have the history of traders, conquerors and have become a people looking towards the future with a clear goal in mind. Matchday two against North Japan will be in Waltenberg and the other two matches will be in Háttmark.

by **Saltstead** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:02 pm

Blues: What is the lowest point in the Stallions’ history?
Saltstead’s defeat to Eura in the World Cup 83 playoffs

The Stallions entered qualification for World Cup 83 after one of the most turgid cycles in the team’s history: the previous cycle, they finished fourth in a three-horse qualifying race, sacked their most controversial head coach ever and nearly lost one of their most gifted midfielders after a vicious (and unpunished) assault in the subsequent Cup of Harmony. Pulling in legendary Qusma coach Tlanx-Nulzk Hal to rectify Saltstead’s historic attacking deficiencies,

It didn’t help. The good news was that Saltstead went undefeated in the first stage of the qualifiers. The bad news was that the Stallions drew half of their matches, giving Baker Park a five point cushion at the top and forcing Saltstead into the infamous four-team winner-take-all randomly-drawn round-robin playoffs.

And as if someone at the Royal Saltsteadish Football Association had cut off a witch doctor in traffic in a past life, the Stallions were handed the single most difficult draw possible: Eura. Ranked seventh in the world at the time, the two-time world champions were runaway favourites in a group containing Saltstead, Mytanija and Newmanistan. Seelandes Nüren commented on Saltstead’s plight with the prescient and infamous headline “EURA STRONK”, with the entire article reading “Nice try, Stallions.”

After winning their first two games—narrowly against Newmanistan and comfortably against Mytanija—Saltstead went into the match needing a win to qualify, as a draw between the two sides would send Eura through on goals scored. The match started out tepid, but the favourites gathered momentum throughout the first half. Saltstead had a key chance in the 59th minute, which Haråud Haråudssen inexplicably failed to convert, giving up any momentum Saltstead might have had. Monica Rowland and Moira Woakes ultimately put the match away and condemned Saltstead to a second consecutive qualifying failure.

The match marked the beginning of the end of the trailblazing Stallions, who crashed out in the quarterfinals of the subsequent Cup of Harmony. Tlanx-Nulzk Hal left Ashwell to take a sabbatical after his homeland fell into political chaos, while the KSFB would be unable to field a team in either of the next two World Cup qualification tournaments due to temporal instability. While Tlanx-Nulzk has fortunately been able to redeem themselves by guiding Savigliane to consecutive qualifications, Saltstead have not come close to appearing in the World Cup finals since that fateful day in Silver Beach.

Honourable mentions: John Rosencrants’s departure from the national team; Clement Kolen’s brush with death in the 74th Cup of Harmony final.

★
The Royal Saltsteadish Football Association
Royal House of Sport, Ashwell
Pratapgadh : Saltstead
Cup of Harmony 80 group stage — Matchday 1
Langvöllur Arena, Hofvinger, Graintfjall
Starting line-up (4–5–1): Kathrinita Äsħes; Micħäl Aurelius, Jan-Pijr Åudenberg, Serena van Middelkamp, Catharine de Vriħt (captain); Natasħa Aħterop, Benni Sħåul, Zacharias van den Slåp, Mina Ratmaker, Aleksa le Duc; Haråud Haråudssen
Substitute bench: Robert-Jan van Daal, Julij Kåler; Pijr Josefssen, Johan van Tilborg, Yorg Handel, Victoria Rothöüf; Constantijn van Bleck, Theodor Felicianus, Nico Joxepħssen, Aleksa Pascal; Stepħanie Withöüf, Reinhard Åubreħtssen

by **Squornshelous** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:27 pm

When the Devil Drives, Chapter 9
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
this chapter begins immediately after Chapter 8

The server room at MinSec had seen better days. There was no power in the room, except to the emergency lights. The long rows of mounting frames that held more computing power and data storage than the mind could comprehend were intact at first glance, aside from a pair that had been tipped over and used to barricade the door. Closer inspection revealed bullet holes and scorch marks, severed cables lay coiled like snakes. The room was oppressively warm, and an acrid smell of melted plastic hinted that the cooling systems had failed before the room lost power entirely. Fortunately nothing remained of the room's defenders apart from a few dark stains on the floor. That didn't bear too much thinking about though. They had a job to do. Andreas wasn't sure whether the state of the server room was encouraging or worrying. With this much damage, any data that might expose him as a former MinSec agent might well be lost. On the other hand, being here now was a golden opportunity to make sure that data was never found.

Viktor directed Andreas and Shura to stay with Fingers and start the painstaking process of data recovery. He and Fixer would try to find and repair the damage to the cooling system so the servers could be powered back up once the power was restored. The military needed to deal with the MinSec loyalists still barricaded in the basement before that could happen though. In the meantime, the only way to start sorting through the massive archive was to physically remove each memory drive so that it could be jacked into a portable power unit and accessed remotely. Fingers was fully equipped for the operation, but the scale of the task ahead was daunting to say the least. How many thousands of those drives were in this room? How much data was there to go through? Petabytes? Exabytes? He wasn't sure he even knew the right terminology to be able to describe it.

The three of them fairly quickly sorted through the drives that had scattered from the fallen racks near the door. Most of them appeared unsalvageable. It was clear that explosives had been used to clear the entryway, and even some of the more intact drives failed to respond when Fingers hooked them up to her rig. Finally, Shura found one with only some minor scorching that they could access.

"Unencrypted," Fingers remarked, a port in her prosthetic left hand plugged directly into her tablet to allow for faster work. "Some kind of database, names, titles, contact info. Looks like MinSec employees maybe? I think we found the Ministry directory. Boring, but someone might want it later." She unplugged the drive and set it aside. "Why don't you two start pulling some of the ones still in their racks, these by the door are mostly fried. I'll put em in a pile for someone to go through later."

"Guess I'll go left, Andre, you take right. Happy hunting!"

Andreas headed to the first rack in one of the rows and began pulling drive units. Fortunately these were the type that clipped into place, rather than being bolted down. He filled his hands with as many as he could carry and headed back. Fingers jacked the first one and frowned in concentration.

"Nothing good here, looks like directory files. You're gonna have to put this one back so we can get the system booted later. Give me the next one."

Each of the drives he'd pulled yielded more of the same. Apparently rack he'd chosen to start with housed the system's operating system. Shura had better luck with her haul. Instead of trying to empty one rack, she had taken a single drive from each one in a particular row. Her drives yielded up file after file of criminal records databases. It wasn't quite the detention records they wanted, but it might put them on the right track figuring out what had happened to thousands of disappeared people. Shura went back to pull a few more drives next to the most promising. Andreas realized his approach had probably been flawed. If there was any correlation between the physical location of the drives and their use in the system, Shura's approach would allow them to make much faster progress at finding the most useful information.

He skipped over the row where he'd started and pulled a few from the racks of the next one. His hunt this time unearthed storage for the MinSec email server. Potentially useful, but some poor bastard would have to sort through pages and pages of useless correspondence to uncover anything interesting. After that was payroll and tax data.

"The best kept records of any society are always the tax records," Fingers grinned as she set the drive aside. The grin quickly turned to a grimace when she jacked the next one. "It's wiped."

"What?"

"There's nothing here. They wiped it. Must be why they barricaded this room for so long. Trying to destroy their records while they had a chance."

"Well shit, can we recover anything?"

"Maybe, it's hard to delete something completely, but what we might find would only be fragments. It'll take more time than we have right now anyway. Set that one aside and go pull the rest from that rack. Maybe they missed something."

Andreas did as she asked, emptying his ammo bag onto the floor and using it to bring back the entire contents of the server rack in question. Each one that Fingers jacked was the same story: completely erased. Whatever had been stored here, MinSec really did not want anyone getting their hands on. As drive after drive came up empty, Andreas felt a strange blend of frustration and relief. There was so much the the Ministry had done that needed to be exposed before the country could really heal, he knew that for certain. At the same time, he knew that data related to the infiltration of NewCon would be among the most sensitive the Ministry had, and would be a priority target for erasure. With a little luck, any records that could out him were gone.

"Wait a second. Got something here." Andreas jerked his head up. Fingers's face was lit up with a triumphant smile, her eyes shining. "Bastards missed one. Heavy encryption here, gonna take a bit to crack, but nothing I can't get through with a little time. All I can get is a few file and folder names. Looks like most of this is something to do with a Project Bergling."

Andreas's heart froze. An eternity passed by him in an instant and he willed himself to speak. "Any idea what that means?"

"Not a clue, but I know they didn't want us to know about it." Fingers unplugged the drive and tossed it lightly to him, "Good one Andre, keep that safe and go find me some more."

He nearly dropped the drive to the floor, clutching at it with suddenly clumsy fingers. Project Bergling was, of course, the name of the infiltration effort. He couldn't be sure the records on the drive were complete, but could he take that chance? No. He had to find a way to get rid of the drive, destroy it, lose it. Make it look like an accident. If not he was doomed.

"You ok, Andre?" Shura had arrived back, and was staring at him with a puzzled look as Fingers went through the next batch of drives, muttering to herself.

"Yeah fine, just zoned out for a minute there. Long couple days."

"That's for sure. Looking forward to my next time sleeping in a bed, whenever that might be."

"Yeah me too." Andreas stood and turned mechanically away from the two. He thought consciously about each movement of his legs and arms. Is this how I usually walk? Am I being suspicious? Shaking his head, he hurried off down the next aisle, pulling drives as quickly as he could. If he could find a few more high-value ones, maybe losing one would look less suspicious. He hoped.

by **North Japan** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:31 pm

HOKUTOU-KO DAILY
The Voice of The People

North Japan Invited to Cup of Harmony

HOKUTOU-KO (JCNA) — After winning World Cup 88 against a very moderate Vdara with a very convincing 5 - 1 the Kirin are ready to take on their next challenge which is the Cup of Harmony in Græntfjall and Krytenia. Naturally the Japanese team would be invited as they are one of the most excellent teams in the footballing world and are showing even more excellence after their recent ventures. Syuu Takagawa is the new manager of the team, who replacces Takeo Hitachi after he mentioned not being able to currently fulfill his duties to the national football association. He will be joined by Jun Matsumoto who replaces Ichiro Ejiri in the current team for reasons currently unknown.

The team remains mostly the same as they are preparing to test their wits against enemies they have never faced before. The Kirin will face Eshialand, Kandorith and Abanhfleft which on first looks do not look very impressive but have interesting qualities to them. The first opponent is Eshialand who are nicknamed The Owls. Their people believe in the concept of monarchy and seem mostly deluded by a concept of lacking order and letting go of control of all morals.

The second opponent is one which will raise eyebrows, Kandorith. A corrupted capitalistic nation which installs their morals onto others in a modern-day imperialistic and treacherous way. A nation which has no morals when it comes to the purity of the human body and mind, glorifies rampant capitalism and devote themselves to a fake idol which they call an Empress. Cold, machine-hearted people with no emotion, empathy nor any realization of how to live with one and another and all controlled by corporate greed and oppression. They are an evil which our very human society truly despises and would never fall to their ideas of machines ruling over the people or even being attached to our bodies.

Lastly there's Abanhfleft. While not a lot is known about them they are equally immoral as the Kandorese seem to be yet without their almost religious believes in machines and AI. Rampant capitalism and sexuality seems to be their game and this is what weakens them as a nation. They are also enemies to the people of the proletarian and will also be crushed under the glorious ideology of our great Chairwoman.

These nations show just what lurks beyond our borders and how badly corrupted the minds of the human beings are. In this group it will be up to us to play football with our hearts to show them the errors in their ways. The Cup of Harmony is not just to play football for the Glorious People's Republic, but a statement of our divine right to bring the world to harmony. Harmony of all workers united across the World and one day unite all of the people to bring forth the grand utopia of freedom, democracy and equal rights. We have freed ourselves from the clutches of corporate greed and capitalism and we shall play football in the name of our glorious communism as the workers of the world will one day realize that their lives are better without the oppressive chains of capitalism.

The People's Republic will be the splendour on the fields of Græntfjall and Krytenia to show the world that when the people play with their hearts, they will overcome all hatred, tyrant and greed. Only when the people have the community, love and equality in their hearts can they all live in harmony and can they all achieve greatness.

by **The Grearish Union** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:42 pm

Football Friendly Roundup: Black Lilies Around the World

South Newlandia 0-2 The Grearish Union @ Kinetik Stadium (13,500), New Colk, South Newlandia

South Newlandia
Scorers: none
Players: M. Trischuk , D. Roy, T. Anderson, P. Gurero, F. Barker, K. Mohamed (B. Lowe 45’), D. Lancaster (C. Green 69’), A. Bois-Miller, F. Willis, B. Cohen, M. Glossman (B. Irving 73’)

The Grearish Union
Scorers: A. McAuley (23', 67')
Players: S. Schaefer, J. Rodrigues, L. Radcliffe, M. Elliott , C. Frank, F. Sloan , C. Benton, L. Potts, J. Daly, A. McAuley (R. Houghton '79), W. Kline

It was a fine evening on the seaside of New Colk when the Black Lilies too to the field of the Kinetik Stadium to face off against the South Newlandian giants of Esportiva. The team looked mostly set for the prospect of qualifying for the 88th edition of the biggest extravaganza in the multiverse — the NS World Cup. The Grearish Union had already crashed out by then, hoping for a place in the Cup of Harmony was the only option left for the Black Lilies. The 65-year-old short-term manager of the Grearish, Sigtryggur Brynjólfursson, therefore urged the GFA to take the team out for a tour of some of the strongest teams in the world in their backyards. Starting off with the strongest, in South Newlandia.

Joanna Rodriguez was leading her team into the jaws of the mightiest force in the orange-and-black realms, and if one thing could have been said, it was that the Black Lilies looked fearless. After picking up 6 points from their last two WCQ outings, they really had nothing to lose except their own will to keep fighting. You could sense that perhaps the Elephants did not anticipate the Grearish to come out all guns blazing. There were a few noticeable changes in the Elephants' team selection, that gave away their mentality. A reserve played in Bois-Miller was given a place in the first-XI, along with a few other faces from the bench. Bois-Miller plays for Kinetik New Colk, a team with Grearish connections (and strong ones at that) which prompted their management to play the youngster in his home crowd in front of his home fans against the Grearish Union. A lot of Grearish expats can be found in this area, and it could be said without a doubt that all of the 13,500 seats in the stadium were full.

It was in these conditions that an Avery McAuley brace sealed the fate of this mammoth friendly. String about twenty minutes into each half, she exposed the lax thought process of the South Newlandians in the game. While it could be said that the South Newlandian players were merely being rested for the more important WCC events later on, public sentiment in the GU is definitely not willing to listen to any of that reasoning. Mohamed had to come off for the Elephants after a disastrous first half that led to beautiful Daly assist and McAuley volley. Later on, Lancaster was swapped out for Green on the 69th minute just after conceding the second goal, while Glossman had to give way for the vastly more experienced irving on the 73rd minute to try and make up the gulf in the scoreline. As it stood by the end of the 90, South Newlandia were beaten 2-0by an exuberant Grearish side who would talk about this victory for decades to come.

Sylestone 3-0 The Grearish Union @ Chamberley Institute of Sport (109,300), Chamberley, Sylestone

Sylestone
Scorers: T. Dryer [3'(P), 6'], Mixer [‘56]
Players: B. Wall, I. Board , Dishwasher (Toilet 82’), T. Dryer, W. Machine, Sofa , Fridge, B. Stool, Drawer, Stove, Mixer

The Grearish Union
Scorers: none
Players: S. Stuart, J. Rodrigues , L. Radcliffe , M. Elliott, C. Frank , F. Sloan, C. Benton, R, Houghton, D. Blackmore , A. McAuley, W. Kline (T. Golde '33)

Travelling to the Chamberley Institute of Sport was a humongous experience for the Black Lilies as they geared up to play in front of a hundred-thousand-plus crowd for what they thought was the first time. What was especially more important was the fact that the Sentient objects of Syestone weren't really the easiest opposition to face in front of such a hostile away crowd. It isn't quite so much easy pickings for a team to play against them in any situation, let alone in their own backyard.

The onsalught started from the first minute itself as the sentient objects sent numerous attacks down the wings against the Black Lilies when suddenly on the the 2' mark Lydia Radcliffe found herself diabolically challenging T. Dryer with a straight slap to the face. After a few seconds of disbelief about what happened in both the human and sentient-object teams, a brawl was about to break out — and if you think from the Sylestonean perspective, they were in their rights to do so. The Grearish skipper in Rodrigues tried her best to bring the situation under control, but the referee made another important decision when she was shown the yellow card for pulling on the plug-wire of T. Dryer who found himself slap bang in the centre of all attention. A penalty was awarded on the spot with the offence being committed inside the penalty area, and sure enough, T. Dryer got himself to score from the spot with the same impunity that he had earned the penalty. It was a joy to watch. The Grearish were now down to 10 players, and the attacks were building, when Mixer provided a brilliant through ball to T. Dryer who slotted it into the net at the 6' minute mark to put the hosts ahead 2-0. The stadium that was reported to be recording an attendance of 86,000 spectators was now roaring in favour of the home Sentients.

The dire straits forced Brynjólfursson to swap Willis Kline for Theia Golde as the Grearish tried to go further towards a defensive 4-4-1 formation which they could afford, in the 33rd minute. Even after this, another goal came from a 19-year screamer from Mixer, who let it rip in the 56th minute, reducing the Grearish to a practically unassailable deficit of 3 goals. This would be the score that continued on to the final whistle, as the Black Lilies would be left contemplating the possibilities of facing a strong Quebecois side without the like of Lydia Radcliffe.

Independent Atheletes from Quebec 1-0 The Grearish Union @ Leith Park (23,600), Halifax, Quebec and Shingoryeo

Independent Atheletes from Quebec
Scorers: S. Y. Kim [23']
Players: McGibbon, Borges Jr., An, Manitopyes , Hanson-Conavacio, Litt, Lundrigan, E. Kweon, Babin, Huitema-Omeasoo, S.Y. Kim

The Grearish Union
Scorers: none
Players: S. Schaefer, J. Rodrigues, L. Taylor, M. Elliott, C. Frank, F. Sloan (C. Preston 70'), C. Benton, L. Potts , D. Blackmore (J. Daly 82'), G. Knott (A. Murphy 67'), W. Kline

With Lydia Radcliffe left out from the team due to suspension issues, fifteen-year-old Linda Taylor had to step up for her nation, and boy didn't she do that. With a fans' rating score of 8.6, she was adjudged the player of the match after multiple crucial tackles that kept the far superior Quebecios side at bay for most of the match on the left hand side of the pitch. The only goal for the Independent Athletes from Quebec in Halifax came from the Grearish right of the pitch as the Quebecois cross by Litt was not handled well by Susanna Schaefer who made a very unusual mistake in gripping the ball, when it popped free and was put to bed by S.Y. Kim, who is known to make little or no errors in front of goal.

It was this lethality in front of goal that was troubling the Grearish Union in this match, as the defensive orgnisation and work put in to defend every ball that threatened the goal axis was marvellous. A fifteen-year-old stood up to face the challenge of the game head-on, and apart from the very narrow defeat, Grearish football can take home the great promise of the youngsters of the future who are willing to step up in big matches, especially against better opposition in their own backyards.

Graæntfjall 3-1 The Grearish Union @ Florus Stadion [Altendalur] (39,500), Altendalur, Graintfjall

Græntfjall
Scorers: R. Guðmansson [33', 61', 70'(P)]
Players: G. Hárlaugsdóttir , M. Matteosdóttir, A. Björnsdóttir , V. Bensson, E. Bjarnfinnursdóttir, L. Mensdóttir (R. Harrysson 84'), J. Miansdóttir, N. Hólmarsdóttir (T. Ilíasarson 88'), H. Heikkisdóttir, R. Guðmansson (R. Torkilsdóttir 73'), L. Rögnvaldursson

The Grearish Union
Scorers: L. Potts [45+2']
Players: S. Schaefer, J. Rodrigues, L. Radcliffe (L. Taylor '71), M. Elliott (T. Golde '72), C. Frank, F. Sloan, C. Benton, L. Potts (G. Knott '78), J. Daly, A. McAuley, W. Kline

The Grearish NT manager came home to his own country of Graintfjall as the participation of the GU in the CoH became clear. Before the groups were drawn, the Black Lilies' manager were looking for club sides to play a warm-up game against them, but as it turned out, the Graintfjaller national team were so kind to accept the proposal themselves for a warm-up encounter. Given the weather conditions in the area, there indeed is need for some warming up.

The Grearish planned to go into the game with a clear intent of giving it their all before the final examination of their prowess happened in the Cup of Harmony. Graintfjall, on the other hand, declaredly played a slightly weakened side for the sake of the encounter being only for assessing the respective teams' own strengths and weaknesses. Given the fact, the Black Lilies were just plain poor on the given day. Perhaps it was the chilly, cold wind in the 'Last City before the Mountains' in Altendalur, or it could have been the unfamiliarity that the Graintfjaller national team offered to the Black Lilies that they succumbed to a 3-1.

The first half could have been deemed respectable as a Potts header from a Kline corner made sure that the Grearish were level as they headed back into the dressing rooms for the break. Guðmansson had already made his mark on the game and was starting to capitalise on his influence on the game — yet, the Grearish internationals could not identify and nullify this threat. The hole that was left in the defence kept growing larger and larger until the prying efforts of the Graintfjaller attack bore fruit again in the 61st minute from the very known foot of Guðmansson. Radcliffe was at the centre of action again with a yellow card awarded for her hand-ball, and Guðmansson was only happy to score from the spot. Numerous changes since then did not help the Grearish cause. It was a loss, and one that was a bitter pill of discipline for the Black Lilies. The world class is ruthless.

Lineup v Pemecutan @ Laxenvöllur, Kyrkdorf, Graintfjall
S. Schaefer (GK), J. Rodrigues (C), L. Taylor, T. Golde, C. Frank, F. Sloan, C. Benton, L. Potts, J. Daly, A. McAuley, W. Kline

by **Chartistan** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:54 pm

A press conference in Linford with Florence "I Love My Country" George.

"Good evening Florence."

"Same to you partner. Billboard Gazette?"

"As always. With the game against Darmen coming up, how will you prove to Doctor Lucas that you will stay in this team long term?"

"It's really about drinkin' beer and talkin' God with him. A little piece of mind from a cold one never hurt anybody, am I right?"

"How can you prove that just drinking beer and talking about God will get you results, especially with a top team like Darmen to open up the Cup?"

"I don't know what Darmen looks like, I don't think anybody in my team does. But if it's the same as what Taeshan was, we can seriously have a darn tootin' result."

"Your team was placed in a group that many say that you can't get out of, with games against New Lusitania and Valentine Z on the schedule. What makes you think that maybe this team will reach the Round of 32?"

"It's just a little peace of mind from a cold one, you know. The dirt of Krytenia is different to the dirt I grew up with in Musicville. Hey, maybe a country angel is looking down at us and hoping that we win."

"...Like Tatertot Crazy on the bench?"

"Yup."

"Or Mama Coriel?"

"Yessir!"

"Or how about Air Latte?"

"Let's just cut to the chase, of darn course!"

"And Lindsey Williams in net?"

"She can hop into my new truck whenever she likes."

"You are an enigma, Florence."

"I guess that was just meant to be."

by **Legalese** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:55 pm

The clerk opened the attachment from the email, trying to remember where she had heard the name before.

In the Legalese District Court
For the Capital District

Civil Action 09-3106212010

James H. Shapiro, Esq.,
Individually and on behalf of all those similarly situated,
Plaintiff
v.

Harold Banana, Andrew Lee, The Turnip, et al
Defendants

COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES

Normally, they'd press forward, but as they read the file, their eyes widened.

Two hours later
"Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Terry" Marcus said into the phone. The Director of Foriegn Affairs listened for a moment.

"Yes, I get it, they claimed we had ten court tiers, when we really have four for most cases, and appeals are definitely speedier these days. But that's not something worth suing over, surely? First off, they said 'allegedly', which gives them a plausible deniability defense."

"Second, have you seen the other things this outlet writes? They talked about how Electrum could still make the World Cup, even though their hopes waved goodbye just like ours long ago. They're stuck in the cold as we are, and since they're a higher rank, I guess I get why they are sore about it, while we'll just take our lumps. Either way, it's not like you can take The Turnip seriously, which almost certainly fits the definition of 'satire'. Besides, the damages? Come on."

Marcus listened to the judge's response.

"Thanks, Terry, I appreciate it. For what it's worth, I think I know who would have some fun with this."

Folte Arena, Graentfjall -- 30 minutes before kickoff

The door slammed open, as Myles Woodworth came out of the office.
"All right, we've been through the game plan, and you all know what to do out there. We know what works, and we'll play our game, and take it to anyone, no matter who they are."

"We've talked about building our own legacy this campaign, and you all have fought hard to define yourselves, and what it means to be Legalese. I was reminded by a friend what happens when you let others define you, though."

He pulled out The Turnip, and read the line on Legalese.

"First, we all know these guys are full of it -- they look at our name, and think we're all just a bunch of mealy-mouthed lawyers just running around, suing the pants off of everyone, all nimbly-pimbly!"

"We know that's not us -- we're a nation that works hard, takes care of everyone, and strives for a better, cleaner, safer future. And we've got that now, so we can turn our attention to what's really important in the here and now: pressing the heck out of our opponents, playing with abandon, and never letting them forget who we are, and who we fight for!"

"So, my only question to y'all: are you going to let them define you, or will you write your own definition?"

by **Kohnhead** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:28 pm

After a colossal choke The Brains enter their third CoH

All we needed was a point from our final three games. While we didn't know it at the time based on Tikariot also trying to choke away a playoff spot had Kohnhead drew just one of their three final games against unranked Pratapgadh, Darmen, or Starblaydia they would be into a playoff spot most likely against Drawkland who Tikariot beat by away goals. Instead two consecutive 2-1 losses followed by a heartbreaking 4-2 loss against Starblaydia while Tikariot dropped points against Wight but managed a draw eliminated us from the World Cup yet again.

In our first cycle we were newcomers not expected to do anything and while it took until the second to last matchday of a 24 match campaign to take us out with a 5-4 loss to the aforementioned Drawkland it wasn't heartbreaking after all we would have ample chances to qualify in our next tries. The next cycle is the very poorly World Cup 86 Qualifying where we really missed despite having high expectations and were eliminated early in the campaign. Last time we also got eliminated relatively early although we managed a respectable 4th in the Group so nothing could prepare us for what happened here.

While Michael White the South Newlandian who has faced heavy scrutiny throughout his tenure was masterful for the first 75% of these qualifiers many are wondering if he's to blame for the collapse. And while some of the blame can be placed on him it should take away from the amazing start to the campaign we had and again a collapse like this has happened once and he has said it will not happen again and I believe him. Despite what pundits will say White is not on the hot seat in fact his seat is cool although there was a time when it was iced completely.

The best way for White to ensure that he is our guy is to finally bring us some Cup of Harmony success where Kohnhead has gone out in the Round of 32 in our last two apperances after a Round of 16 loss three cycles ago. In our Group which is Group J the 57th ranked Brains (our all time high) are joined by 34th ranked Squornshelous, 102nd ranked Le Choix a nation out of the Baptism of Fire, and 125th ranked Eraman. Much like last time around I think we can manage first or second pretty easily although Le Choix in particular could be a challenging opponent.

Also like last cycle our first match will be against the pot 1 side this time Squornshelous who we have never played before however we do have some history with the related Squornshelean Remnant States who were in our World Cup 85 Group who we want 0-1-1 against. In addition NT star Linus Rallyton captains the reigning title winning FC Yassaca as well the reigning Challengers Cup champions who are in the Remnant States while two NT defenders on SRS play in Kohnhead. However Squornshelous we have no domestic or international dealings with so it will be a first for us against a team that had one of the highest point totals to not make the playoffs with 35 just two points shy of making the World Cup proper. I always hate playing the top team on the first matchday because if we lose it puts a lot of pressure on us to perform in the second and third matches but if we can beat or draw Squornshelous we put ourselves in a good position.

The pot three team Le Choix is who we take on in the second match and they are recent graduates of the 75th Baptism of Fire which they lost in the finals to another Cup of Harmony team in Eshialand. Le Choix ended up a very respectable 4th in their group on 30 points which was just three points off of the mark of Kohnhead. Le Choix are our top competition for that second place and the game against them will be of vital importance especially if we drop points against Squornshelous in our first game. Just like with Squornshelous we have not played Le Choix and have literally no ties to them so it will be interesting to see how the team performs.

Lastly we have Eraman in the final match which will most likely require a win from The Brains to advance and I think we should be able to do it against a team that finished 6th in their group with 23 points nothing compared to what the other teams in the group put up. Eraman we actually do have some history with as Emma Balmer a former National Team player currently plays there and while our National Teams have never met we see them often on the tennis courts as part of the NSTT.

Overall we will be keeping the same exact roster as we used for qualifying and I think we can advance past the Group Stage for the fourth time in four tries with another 2-0-1 record. I'm just hoping we can finally get past the Round of 32 again and maybe even make a run to put the World Cup disappointments behind us fully cause if not they could hinder this team for a long time.

by **Montana Verde** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:29 pm

In a white winter Queendom on a metallic peninsula in Rushmore, an election was underway. A celebration of democracy and a demonstration of the country’s functional political independence. Every vote scrupulously counted, double-checked, cross-referenced. Party leaders sat in hotel rooms watching news coverage, ready for jubilant parties filled with brightly colored balloons, or dignified concession speeches and phone calls to congratulate adversaries. That was how the election was going in a white winter Queendom.

Thousands of miles away, in a rainforest republic, there was also an election. And it was going … in its own way…

Juan Martín Pareja Beldad tipped another box of ballot papers open. They tumbled onto the fire, which crackled and sparked, then damped down. Juan Martín shook the bottle of accelerant and squirted it onto the flames, which shot up anew, enveloping the wilting papers in an orange embrace.

¡Viva Santángel! ¡Viva Santángel! ¡Viva Santángel!

Another bottle crashed through the window. The last had been empty: this one was full of petroleum-soaked rags, and ablaze. Óscar hurriedly threw a blanket to damp it down; Juan Martín kicked the rags onto his own fire. Let the fools provide their own fuel. The shouts now seemed louder thanks to the broken window. Louder, and nearer.

¡Viva Santángel! ¡Viva Santángel! ¡Viva Santángel!

“Into fuckings what shoutings about they are?” grumbled Runólfur, the enormous blonde man lurking in the corner. His Verdean was coarse and broken. Juan Martín, Óscar and Damián understood, though.

“They are cheering for President Santángel!”

Runólfur snorted. “Luckings good into them.” He exchanged a dark glance with Juan Martín, who shuddered at the man’s cold blue eyes. It had probably not been Runólfur himself who had shot President Santángel behind the ear and kicked his twitching body from a helicopter 5,000 feet above the Verdean coast, but it had been a man much like him, no doubt.

Damián opened another box of ballots. They were from the inner city districts of Santa Margarita, the tightly packed urban neighborhoods full of factory workers and textile merchants. The working class blocks, a union card in every household – and a portrait of Father Mariano on every wall. The ballot papers spilled out. Every single one was marked for POS. Party of Socialism, officially; Party of Santángel, unofficially. Juan Martín, whose two brothers had been hanged from lampposts by the Marxists, had his own opinion on what POS stood for.

He nodded; when Damián hesitated, he glanced to Runólfur. The man was perhaps twice Damián’s height and had only to stand straight and square his shoulders to inspire a certain immediate dedication to the cause. Damián shovelled more ballots onto the fire. Juan Martín emptied the rest of the bottle of accelerant: amid stinking fumes, the flames licked up as tall as him. He watched them dance in Damián’s dark eyes.

There was a loud crash from outside. The splintering of door being rammed. ¡Viva Santángel! The cries were coming inside the building now. Screams, curses, all of them indistinct except for those two words, over and over. ¡Viva Santángel! A gunshot like the crack of a whip across a hide. Cheers.

The smoke was making it difficult to see, and Juan Martín’s eyes were stinging and streaming, but he didn’t need them to know what was happening in the room. His ears picked out Óscar’s teeth, chattering like castanets. A moan and wretched splatter as Damián vomited – Juan Martín noted with approval that at least he had aimed away from the fire, which was to keep burning to the last. The steady click as Runólfur loaded an automatic pistol so large that in Verdean hands it could have served as a crew weapon. His hand moved to his own sidearm.

Another gunshot in the corridor, close enough to pick out the echo of the ricochet.

¡Viva Santángel!

by **Vdara** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:39 pm

The Same Song? Again?!

Yes, yes it is. It’s always the same song. No matter what tournament, you’ll always hear this song blaring out of the team bus, with the players singing their hearts out like there’s no tomorrow. However, you may be wondering to yourself: “Why is it always this song? Where did it originate from?”

...

......

.........

To be honest, I couldn’t tell you. Markos just loves the song, y’know? It played when the U-18s won their respective tournament, and it’s played every since. Anyhow, back to the Cup of Harmony!

Before the Tournament

Pre-tournament, Vdara has played a grand total of one international friendly. This one friendly went quite well though, with the match against Bollonich finishing 7-2 in Vdara’s favour. Not too bad, if you ask me. With results like that, you’d think Moustakakos’ results in future would be just as good with his new tactics taking shape, eh? Well, ask me again by the end of the tournament, and by then we’ll have found out if his tactics have worked. For now, however, let’s go over to the team bus.

Vdaran Team Bus
somewhere in Græntfjall

Not long after the last tournament, the bus was back on the road. The players could forget about the World Cup for now, as this was the real deal. Well, at least, that’s what Markos tried to say.

Moustakakos: ”I know yous probably think this tournament is below the World Cup, but trust me - considering the level we’re at, we’re in a position to fight for this thing! We may as well treat it like a World Cup, considering the teams in it.”

The people on the bus simply stared back, not taking in a single word. They knew he was talking shite. They were walking into a tournament with a new manager, a new strategy and a new squad. If they were to succeed, they’d have to bond, and fast.

Moustakakos: ”Aw, c’mon, don’t just stare at me like that. Talk to each other! Think about what’s coming! Enjoy yourselves for the time being!”

More silence. The youngsters found it tough to get on with the older folks, as you’d expect. After all, the older folks listened to different tunes, found different things funny, and hadn’t won a trophy. Markos had to find a solution, and fast. Thankfully, the solution was in his pocket - a cassette tape that he had lying around, just waiting to be played. If this didn’t work, nothing would. Markos silently inserted the tape into the bus’ stereo, and waited for the song to begin.

Now Playing: Dancing In The Moonlight - Toploader ○───────────────────────────────
◄◄⠀▐▐⠀►► 0:01 / 3:46⠀───○

As always, the song worked like a treat, with the players singing along in no time. (You’re probably singing along too. If not, please file a complaint, and someone will be there to assist you.) Markos secretly hoped this would help his players bond, but he knew this was a short term solution. If he was to sort this issue out, he’d have to sort it later on. For now, however, he was simply vibing to the banging tunes.

by **Krytenia** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:56 pm

If you're in Groups I to P, the cutoff message reads as follows:

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen
Actors on the scene
You better touch wood...

Group I
Montaña Verde 0–5 Oberour ar Moro
Indusse 0–2 TJUN-ia

Group I                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oberour ar Moro        1   1  0  0    5   0  +5    3
2 TJUN-ia                1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Indusse                1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
4 Montaña Verde          1   0  0  1    0   5  −5    0

Group J
Pratapgadh 0–0 Saltstead
Electrum 1–5 Legalese

Group J                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Legalese               1   1  0  0    5   1  +4    3
2 Pratapgadh             1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Saltstead              1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Electrum               1   0  0  1    1   5  −4    0

Group K
The Grearish Union 1–1 Pemecutan
Sylestone 0–2 Vdara

Group K                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vdara                  1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Pemecutan              1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  The Grearish Union     1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Sylestone              1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group L
Abanhfleft 1–1 Kandorith
Eshialand 1–0 North Japan

Group L                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eshialand              1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Abanhfleft             1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Kandorith              1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 North Japan            1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group M
San Ortelio 2–0 Adab
Garifunya 1–3 Siovanija & Teusland

Group M                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 San Ortelio            1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
  Siovanija & Teusland   1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
3 Adab                   1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
  Garifunya              1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group N
Sharktail 0–1 Garbelia
Zwangzug 1–1 Eastfield Lodge

Group N                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Garbelia               1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
2 Eastfield Lodge        1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Zwangzug               1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Sharktail              1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group O
Squidroidia 2–1 Srednjaci
Sargossa 1–0 Murphtannia

Group O                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sargossa               1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Squidroidia            1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Murphtannia            1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
  Srednjaci              1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group P
Græntfjall 0–4 Barunia
Baggieland 1–2 Bollonich

Group P                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Barunia                1   1  0  0    4   0  +4    3
2 Bollonich              1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Baggieland             1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
4 Græntfjall             1   0  0  1    0   4  −4    0

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:59 pm

Goal of the tournament competition

This Cup of Harmony, we are running a “Goal of the Tournament” competition. It is completely optional and does not give extra RP bonus for participating: it’s simply an additional prompt, as well as (hopefully) being fun.

Rules:

1. The cutoff for submissions is the cutoff for the semifinals. This means only goals scored during the group stages, Ro32/16 and quarterfinals are eligible.

2. Every team in the CoH may submit one entry. You may submit an entry at any time, even after you’ve been knocked out. The goal must be from this competition, not a friendly, previous competition, or domestic competition.

3. Include the tag “goalofthetournament” (no spaces) somewhere in your post. Do not use this tag in any other post. This will make it easy for us to search for the entries, so if you don’t follow this instruction don’t blame us for missing it!

4. You can present the goal in any format you like: match report, graphic, player blog, fan account, news article, social media entry…

5. At the cutoff, all the entries will be assessed and a shortlist will be chosen, which will then be chosen from for the overall winner. This may include a voting element, depending on number of entries.

6. Any questions or queries should be addressed through TG or the WCDT thread.

Each MD I will be offering a small prompt on the theme of music. These prompts are not required and there is no extra bonus for doing them compared with doing a match report or any other type of RP; they’re simply there because, at the end of a long World Cup cycle and with many tournaments competing for attention, inspiration may be running thin. Feel free to respond in whatever format you like – or ignore them entirely.

Blues

It seems appropriate to start with the blues, as the road to the Cup of Harmony necessarily begins with that moment when a team when a team realizes they aren’t going to qualify for the World Cup. What is the lowest moment in your national team’s history? A bitter defeat to a hated rival? A tragic off-field incident? A crushing defeat? Or a slender, last-gasp case of victory slipping through your fingers?

MD1 cutoff

Group A
Krytenia 2–0 Tumbra
The Licentian Isles 0–3 Mytanija

  Group A                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mytanija                         1   1  0  0    3   0  +3    3
2 Krytenia                         1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
3 Tumbra                           1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0
4 The Licentian Isles              1   0  0  1    0   3  −3    0

Group B
Sarzonia 0–0 Xanneria
Atheara 0–0 Reçueçn

  Group B                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Atheara                          1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Reçueçn                          1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Sarzonia                         1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Xanneria                         1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1

Group C
Huayramarca 0–0 Ranoria
Savojarna 2–1 Sendhang

  Group C                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                        1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Huayramarca                      1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Ranoria                          1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Sendhang                         1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group D
Kohnhead 1–1 Squornshelous
Le Choix 1–2 Eraman

  Group D                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eraman                           1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Kohnhead                         1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Squornshelous                    1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Le Choix                         1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group E
Darmen 2–2 Chartistan
Valentine Z 2–2 New Lusitania

  Group E                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan                       1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Darmen                           1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  New Lusitania                    1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Valentine Z                      1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1

Group F
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 1–1 St Trinians
Drawkland 4–4 Hispinas

  Group F                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Drawkland                        1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
  Hispinas                         1   0  1  0    4   4   0    1
  St Trinians                      1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom        1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1

Group G
Busoga Islands 1–0 Trolleborg
Talamia 2–1 Sannyamathland

  Group G                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Busoga Islands                   1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Talamia                          1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Sannyamathland                   1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  Trolleborg                       1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

Group H
The Gothanita Isles 0–1 Ethane
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 1–2 Flavovespia

  Group H                        Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ethane                           1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
  Flavovespia                      1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles      1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0
  The Gothanita Isles              1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0

by **Squidroidia** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:34 pm

A Win on the Cards - Kuodorf

When the Squidroidians escaped the Grander International Arena for their first game of this Cup of Harmony, they could at least say one thing that Manager Mito couldn't - They won a game in this 64 team format. A 2-1 win against Srednjaci secured 3 points against the underdogs, and that was what Johnson so desperately wanted to hear as his Inklings left for the changing room. They at least beat the nightmare that was the 79th Cup of Harmony, those nights in Cassadaigua which they wanted to forget so very badly.

But truth be told, the blues of the Squidroidian national team can be traced farther than the sacking of Mito. To this day, many Squidroidians think the Inklings have 2 major rivals - Poafmersia and HUElavia, with Murphtannia and Tequilo as minor rivalries. The first fixture against Squidroidia and Murphtannia coming in Twicetagria for the Twicetagrien Football Invitational. The scoreline for that game? 5-1 to the Murphs. Another one of Manager Murphy's masterclasses, up there with the Cup of Harmony 78 win against Krytenia, and enough to rip a wound within the NT. They would bounce back in the final group game by beating Tikariot before storming to the Semi-Finals, losing to Sylestone in extra time. The Inklings would get one better in the IAC 12 group stage, confirming their survival in a 5-4 win which knocked out Murphtannia.

HUElavia has always seemed to be the bigger of the 2 rivals for Squidroidian international football fanatics, the first fixture coming against them in the IAC X Semi-Finals. Everybody knows that Mito's Squidroidia were back then the major surprise of the tournament, beating the eventual champions Poafmersia in the group stage and making the final four. Their reward was a match against the team in yellow. "FORCA HUELAVIA", they cried out, wanting to book their place in a 2nd consecutive final after losing to New Lusitania in IAC 9. Everybody remembers Ayuka Hamada's goal at this point, denying the upset kings a place in the Final and being condemned to the 3rd place match against Tequilo.

2 editions later, Squidroidia versus Tequilo would repeat again, this time in the IAC 12 final in Urbego, Muralos. This would end up being one of the final games for Los Pitxileros as an Independent nation, as they would be part of Anaia midway into the WC88 qualifiers. It was a game that Squidroidians so desperately wanted to forget after Pedro Rôa's 2 goals late in the game to offset the equalizing penalty by Itō in the 60th minute. And like New Lusitania after the Inklings knocked them out, they were silent, hearts broken. They didn't lift the trophy.

A cycle before that, the toughest loss in national team history happened. Everybody wants to forget this more than any other tough defeat, at least a single defeat, in the history of the national team. Megistos. A nation that crafted the IFC, a nation that would make a shocking run to the Semi-Finals... They beat Squidroidia 3-1. That was the game that would ultimately lead to Mito's sacking by the SFA and the hiring of Adam Johnson. If the team didn't lose that game, Mito wouldn't have likely lost his job, which meant no IAC final run... Who knows what would have happened from there?

But at least, in this Cup of Harmony anyway, they got 3 points. Something that the class of 79 couldn't say.

by **Eshialand** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:47 pm

Alive
Eshialand 1-0 North Japan

The news about the tragedy in Qariq hit you like a truck, as it would any person with any emotions at all.

It would take a while to recover from all of the feelings, but there was another problem presenting itself. How in the world would you get to Græntfjall?

The investigation into what happened to Flight 210 was going to take at least a few days, but the team's first Cup of Harmony match was tomorrow, and the team's plane was grounded until the investigation wrapped up, or at least until it conclusively determined that it wasn't Serale Airport's or Eshian Airways' fault.

The plane to Altendalur had been a chartered Eshian Airways plane, just like all of the ones the Owls flew on. How was the team going to get to Græntfjall in a single day when scheduled flights to anywhere in Rushmore were almost unheard of?

"Um, Coach, I think we need to talk about how we're supposed to get to our next match..."
"Oh, I never even thought of that... nice catch Melissa."
"Somehow, we need a flight that isn't from Eshian Airways, isn't out of Cincinnati, and can go on a trip to Rushmore with almost no advance warning and what little money we have left..."
"I'll make a few calls."

An hour later, Coach arrives with some good news.

"So, I have a friend of a friend on the board of Flyfr.esh..."
"Flyfr.esh? Isn't that the one budget airline with the questionable airplane peanuts?"
"Look, do you want a flight or not?" He seemed a bit frazzled from his negotiating.
"Sorry..."
"They're willing to fly us to Altendalur--"
"YES!!"
"--but they'll only do it out of Eshialand City since that's where all of their planes are right now."
"But that's like an 8 hour drive!!"
"Sadly, that's the only way we're gonna get to Græntfjall..."
"Oh no..."

"C'MON OWLS, LET'S GO!" Coach yelled, with urgency in his voice.
Alice: "Did you get us a flight?"
Coach: "Yep!"
Lucas: "Will we get to the match in time?"
Coach: "If we get a move on we will!"
George: "Wait, where's Jake?"
Jake arrived, clearly wrought out emotionally. "Yeah, I'm... right here... I'm just a little..."
Coach: "Well let's go! We can worry about other things once we're in the bus!"

After what felt like the longest road trip you had ever been on, you finally made it to Penrose Airport in Eshialand City and boarded the plane to Altendalur. The mood on the flight was a mix of tired, worried, and upset, and it was almost complete silence.

Some players got some much-needed sleep while most of them just kinda didn't. As a result, when the team got to the stadium where their first Cup of Harmony match would be held, most of the team just didn't feel ready.

Jake was still clearly thinking about mortality and the Qariq tragedy when he decided to ask you for some motivation.

"You want me to help you out Jake?"
"Yeah, it's just been really hard, ya know?"
"Wouldn't you rather talk to Coach?"
"Well, he's great at motivating the whole team, but I think you'd be better with personally cheering me up..."
"What about Alice? You two seem closer than we are, why not talk to her?"
"Well, I've been really nervous around her lately to tell you the truth..."
"Oh really now?" You playfully punch him in the arm.
"C'mon, be serious! You're supposed to be our team captain, our leader!"
"Okay, okay. Look, I know it can be hard when something like this happens. Believe me, you weren't the only one shocked by the news. But I don't let it beat me up. Ya know why? Because we're alive today. Sure, we could all die someday, but we're here now, aren't we? Let's just take it one freezing cold day at a time. Soon, this'll all be behind us, and all we'll have are the memories of one another and the soccer we played together. Let's make those memories happy ones, shall we?"
"Thanks, that really helps."
"Now, let's get to the stadium so we can warm up."
"In more ways than one!" You share a laugh over that comment.

The match itself wasn't the most exciting, since the energy that the team showed in your last two matches was completely lost to the sleepless night on the plane. The Owls' play was bland and lifeless, with only one goal in the whole match, coming when Jake took both a pass from you and your advice to heart. He thanked the universe for being alive, and blasted a shot past Hiro Akita in the 68^th, a single shot that made all the difference.

Eshialand - 1 (Harran 68')
North Japan - 0

"Hello and welcome back to ENN Tournament Report, I'm your host Josh Seametzle. The 80th Cup of Harmony is now underway in Græntfjall and Krytenia, and no matter whether your favorite team is playing in frozen hell or political hell, it's all hell to me. Let's see how this first matchday went, shall we?"

Abanhfleft 1-1 Kandorith
"Out of tonight's 32 matches, there were 12 draws, and I'm inclined to chalk that up to there being a lot of low-scoring matches like this one... and I mean a lot."

Eshialand 1-0 North Japan
"You know the old saying 'beggars can't be choosers'? Well, I was begging for an Owls win (as I'm sure we all were), but now I'm choosing! That was so boring I couldn't take it! There was no semblance of the Eshialand that scored 9 goals is two matches, just stale and tired play! And to think, this will probably be the only win we get!"

"I wonder what groups you, the viewers, wanted me to cover... yep, there they are, B and P. Let's see how Atheara and Bollonich are doing!"

Xanneria 0-0 Sarzonia
"No comment."

Reçueçn 0-0 Atheara
"Wait WHAT? Is that a glimmer of BoF Atheara I see? I'm so excited to see what happens here!"

Græntfjall 0-4 Barunia
"Wasn't Barunia like eighth or ninth in their qualifying group or something? This is certainly a big win for them!"

Baggieland 1-2 Bollonich
"Bollonich is just one of those teams that's always full of surprises, and this is no exception. There's a good chance that they'll see the Round of 32 now!"

"I'm actually excited to see what the next matchday might have in store now! Until then, I've been Josh Seametzle, and this has been Tournament Report."

by **Legalese** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:11 pm

"Welcome back! As most of you just saw -- and the reports I'm getting from back in Legalese confirm that it really is most of you -- the Legalese National Team got off to a strong start in chilly Graentfjall with a drubbing on group favorites Electrum, 5 to 1 the final here in Folte. Gabe, shall we proceed with the highlights?"

"Indeed, Joel. The action started right at the kickoff, with Legalese coming out swinging."

"Aye, but when playing against a team with a sentient energy ball resembling a football, you may want to make sure you're kicking the right one. Tim Ermintano might have wanted to have that kick back, sending Seb into the upper stratosphere."

"Fortunately he recovered, as did Seb. Tremendous Tim lived up to his nickname in the fifth minute, connecting on a cross from Charlie Brackman to start the scoring, and Legalese was off to the races."

"I know! They played like a team possessed with an obsession on scoring goals, which incidentally, is exactly how Myles Woodworth wants this team to play. Let's hear his comments after the game."

"When we scored thrice in the first twenty minutes, I figured we got off to a good start."

"I don't think I can put it any better, Joel. A work of art, this game was."

by **Xanneria** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:37 pm

Hey at least we didn't end up with a bunch of dead Ethanians
excerpt from http://www.xtrasports.xan/nationalteam.html

KRYTENIA - A popular tourist destination for Xannerias (We have always been confused by this) Kryatenia is now host to the Cup of Harmony. With the teams aging roster reeling from the effects of a Ripperonin shortage, the team looked to a Sarzonia team that was probably a true wildcard. The Sarzonia team was way better than their placing. Like a lot of teams Sarzonia is one whose ranking is more reflective of political straggling rather than on pitch performance. This brings us to the game in "Tyfield" a manufacturing town in the far south of Krytenia.

The game between Sarzonia and Xanneria took place in the gorgeous Knott Crescent, stadium. While considerably medium sized especially compared to it's bigger brothers in Emberton and our next venue, Bromham. The Crescent was a gracious host to two splendid football football teams. Sadly neither team could put a splendid game and especially brutal game for the Xannerians ends in a 0-0 tie. A product of an aging team, with very minimal help from legal, outside sources the Maroons looked way more lost and more slow and syrup like in their movements. But damning of the Stars of Sarzonia was the fact the team couldn't capitalize. This was not a weather related game like in the BoF 69, nor did the team expirence the wind like they did a few years ago against the Free Republic of Hong Kong. This game was a dud. Not my words infact. "Dud" was a word commonly used by the coach of the Maroons, Mr. Myrone Rhule. Mr. Rhule was frantic in his game running up and down to the point where pundits of multiple nations said he should declare himself a player and sub himself in. But alas he couldn't and the game ended 0-0, thankfully the other matchup in Bromham also ended 0-0 with Atherea, a promising young team, playing a defensive masterclass over the most favored but equally skilled Reçueçn team. Xanneria will come up to face them next. Will the Reçueçn recover or can Xanneria recover quicker?

CoH80 - The Even Frostier Cup: Everything Thread

CoH Pre-MD1

Who is online